Survival Strategy for Weak Territories! ~ My Territory Will Be Destroyed No Matter How Many Times It Is Repeated. How Can This Be Saved? ~ - Chapter 4

Second Run, Behind the Engagement

“Ahh, I’m glad. Now we should be able to manage somehow.”

The Asgard territory has no special commodity.

However, logistically, it is a key point for transportation.

With the territory acting like the gateway connecting the central part of the kingdom to the east, they can collect tolls from travelers and merchants.

That being said, the earning from said tolls is not that big.

To prepare for Marquis Laguna’s invasion, the territory needs greater sources of income.

“This is quite a gamble, Klein-sama.”

“The marriage matter is already settled so this much should be fine right?”

Naturally, to produce a new source of income, he needs a new industry.

And what Klein desires to get his hand on first——is the rich soil of the Jotunn house.

“Kukuku…..there are signs that summer this year will be cold after all. We will obtain grains for cold regions from the north and cultivate them ourselves to sell them at a high price.”

The Jotunn house which Klein has entered a marriage agreement with has the highest food production in all of the Kingdom. Their territory is a major food supplier to the country.

With a vast plain filled with rich soil, their territory is a very rich one due to large-scale farms and animal husbandry.

“Haha……to proceed with the marriage so fast only to rent a field. The predecessor will surely be surprised, sir.”

“That’s not all though……well, if we can grow large amounts of crops that are resistant to cold weather then we will definitely be able to sell them at a high price.”

Klein has the knowledge that this year summer will be a cold one……..

Moreover, the autumn harvest will be poor leading to a shortage of food.

However, most area of Asgard territory is mountainous so it is not suitable for mass production of food.

That’s why Klein has decided to rent a field and hire farmers from his ally instead.

“I thought that I had to persuade them to rent us farmland along with the marriage discussion but I’m glad that both are going so well.”

Because he knows that the food price will soar in advance, even Klein who is not very familiar with the business world should be able to make enough money——-that was the plan.

To this end, in return for having the farmers cultivate specific crops, a contract was signed that the Viscount will pay wages to the farmers as compensation.

“However, Klein-sama. The northern crops are not exactly known for their taste…….if the cold summer doesn’t come, we will probably be in quite a deficit you know?”

“It will be fine. Believe in me .”

After all, he knows for a fact that there will be many houses that will be in trouble after the food price rises up.

Then, how about setting the price a little lower?

Not only can he make a profit from selling the grains, but he will also be able to sell favors to the surrounding houses.

Even if he sells them at the usual price of this time of year, there should be many houses that will feel indebted to him for that.

That’s the plan he has in mind.

“I asked old man Tom and his friends to buy them for me since April after all. Well, I’m glad that it didn’t all go to waste……Also, it is about time for him to come back right?”

“I think so, sir.”

In order to make it in time for summer, he started buying seed potatoes even before the marriage talk was concluded.

If the marriage discussion failed, the large amount of seed he bought would go to waste so it was a huge gamble.

However, things are working in his favor.

Since his lord has settled on his marriage partner, the head butler also has one less thing to worry about.

To Klein, it felt like he could catch a glimpse of a bright future now.

That’s why both of them have a gentle smile on their faces as they bathe in the early summer sunshine.

However, when they were doing that,

“KLEIN-SAMAAAAAAA!”

Hans the guard captain rushed toward Klein in a hurry.

He then kneels down in front of him with a sliding momentum.

“My Lord! An urgent report has come in, sir!”

“What, you are being too loud.”

The head butler who’s strict about manners admonished him but Hans did not pay him any mind.

He appeared impatient as he presented Klein with a letter.

“C, Count Vanaut of the East has declared war on us, sir!”

The Vanaut house is a bigshot of the east that is based several territories away from the Asgard territory.

With them holding the peerage of a count, the head of the family is dubbed the Eastern Count.

In terms of military power, some even call them the strongest in the Kingdom.

“……Ha? Eh, the Eastern Count? Why!?”

However, the current Klein has never been in contact with him before.

Even Klein in his previous life had no opportunity to rub elbows with such a bigshot.

“W, Wait a minute, why is he declaring war on us!”

In the case of Marquis Laguna, he can understand that it was about a territory dispute.

However, he has no contact with the Vanaut house whatsoever.

Why did this happen?

Snatching the letter away from Hans, Klein roughly opened it.

And what was written inside was,

[To rob me of my bride when I was in the middle of courting her, such an action is an insult to my house. I will have you pay for this disgrace with your blood.]

The letter was from the Eastern Count himself. Moreover, it was handwritten.

“…..this letter, did it really come from the Vanaut house? From the Eastern Count himself?”

“……yes, there is no mistake.”

Klein has read through the letter but his head still refuses to understand its content.

Count Vanaut should be turning 40 this year.

And despite that, it seems that he has been working hard for the past 3 years to court an 11 years old girl to be his wife.

The letter gave that rumors a lot of credibilities.

From the words that feel like a raging stream as well as the grudge that seep out from every letter written inside, he knows that the Count is serious.

“Ahh…..I see?”

The Count was seriously trying to court the girl who was only 7-8 years old at the time.

He’s obsessed with her to the level that he doesn’t mind going to war to obtain her.

Still, despite the fact that his head has already processed the information, it took him a few dozens of seconds to completely understand it.

In other words, the reason for this ultra-high-speed engagement was to protect their beloved daughter from the pedophile lord. That’s why the Southern Count was in such a hurry to engage his daughter to a man of similar age.

Klein guessed at Count Jotunn’s motive.

“Haha, Oi, Oi.”

As a result of crushing his dream of marrying the young lady of Jotunn house, the Eastern Count chose to direct his wrath toward the Asgard territory.

He is trying to make an example out of Klein who came out of nowhere and snatched away his prey.

That seems to be what this is about.

“Who the hell would be able to predict such a thing…..”

A few days after receiving the letter/notice of destruction.

Although there were several territories between his and the Count’s territories, the Count’s army aggressively advanced their way through them like a maelstrom.

Leaving no time for the Jotunn house to intervene or send reinforcement, the Vanaut army quickly made their way toward the Asgard territory.

All the messengers Klein sent for reinforcements were all ignored by the nearby lords and the two sides collided across a river flowing east of the Asgard territory.

The Count’s army was 20,000 strong.

Since they are House Vanaut’s main force, the soldiers did not raise any complaints about the reason behind the war and continued working with an unwavering attitude.

The Viscount’s army on the other hand consisted of only 3,000 people even after Klein had drafted as many people as he could from his territory.

The Eastern Count’s proud cavalry, which made a name for themselves in the battle with different ethnic groups in the east, roam freely on the battlefield.

The amateurish defensive side could not put up any fight against such an elite army and the Asgard territory easily fell.

Kingdom Calendar Year 500, June 5th.

On this day, the territory of Asgard was destroyed by the wrath of the Eastern Count.

TLN: Count Vanaut denounced him in the letter so the grievances penalty will be lower I guess……

Also, this is the end of the 2nd run. Next Time will be the 3rd run which will be released next week at the earliest.